Deepavali Celebrated Joyously By Various Communities in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- The joyous celebration of Deepavali in Sabah can clearly be felt, with people from various races and religions coming together to join the festivities at the Sri Pasupathinath Alayam here today.

Despite being far away from their families in Peninsular Malaysia, Indian students and the local community in the state still celebrated the Festival of Light in a festive and harmonious atmosphere.

There are about 15,000 Indians throughout Sabah and, in this capital city alone, there are 3,000 of them, including Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students.

This year, UMS took the initiative to provide three buses to transport about 250 to 300 Indian students to the temple to celebrate Deepavali with the local community.

UMS Faculty of Psychology and Social Work lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Balan Rathakrishnan said this was done to enable students who could not return to their hometowns to celebrate Deepavali with the Indian community around Kota Kinabalu.

"The students are extremely happy to celebrate with the Indian community here. Coming to the temple to pray, students who are far away from their families feel as if they are back home because the celebration here is so lively and a variety of traditional Indian dishes are served,” he told Bernama.

The event was also attended by the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Sabah, Tun Musa Aman; Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam; and other local leaders.

For UMS Bachelor of Communication student Andrita James, 22, celebrating Deepavali in Sabah has given her a different, but just as meaningful, experience, although the Indian community is a minority in the state.

"This is the third year I am celebrating Deepavali in Sabah, and I do indeed miss my family. However, I have responsibilities as a student to focus on my studies,” she said.

Meanwhile, UMS Bachelor of Psychology student Janani Somaiya, 21, said this is her first year celebrating Deepavali far from her family, but the visit to the Sri Pasupathinath temple has made her feel as if she is with her own family.

"In Sabah, the celebration is quite different from that in Peninsular Malaysia. Although I miss my family, celebrating the Festival of Light here is still special and a new experience,” she said.

Dentist Dr Deviani Perumal, who is also the temple's secretary, said the Deepavali celebration here is always lively because people from other races and religions also join in the festivities, adding that about 800 to 1,000 people turn up annually to further enliven the atmosphere.

"Normally, on Deepavali morning, we will hold prayers at home before going to the temple, wearing our new clothes… that is our tradition.

"At the temple, various traditional Indian food - like roti canai, tosai, vadai and murukku - are served to guests of various ethnicities and religions to enjoy,” she said.

-- BERNAMA